Morning journal and courier., 1887-12-17
IN LESS THAN AN HOUR.

The Board of fAlde rmen Meet and Have
 a Lively Discussion Concerning the
 Salaries of the Board of COmpensa-
 tiOn-The State House Repairs Re-
 port Adopted.
 At a special meeting of the board of alder men held last evening not two-thirds of the members were present, Mayor s. A. York presiding. The first matter to come up be- fore the board was the report of the board of finance, which was in substance:
 "That the city, by a popular vote, having decided to repair the State, House, that the Mayor, city auditor, three aldermen, three councilmen and three citizens be appointed a
 commission to look after the work and de-
 tail of such repairs and make such contracts
 as are necessary thereto"
 Alderman Daley moved that the report be
 accepted, which motion was carried without
 discussion.
 The estimates next came up for considera-
 ton, and Alderman Dickerman moved that they be passed with the following amend
 ment: That $400 be taken from the tax
 commission appropriation and be added to the contingent fund, which was done. The report of the board of finance on the
 salaries and length of office of the members of the board of compensation, which has
 caused so much discussion, was next brought up and lively discussion followed. Alderman Dickerman at once moved to table the matter, but no second to the motion was heard Alderman Barnes moved to concur with tSe board of councilmen in the matter, which was seconded by Alder man Martin. Alderman Whitmore then second the first motion made by Alderman Dickerman, and the chair held this motion the first to be voted upon.
 I In the discussion which followed, before taking a vote on the matter, Alderman Barnes said: 'sI think this bill is put upon this body to oust two or at least one of the members of the board of compensation, and if this bill is put in for this purpose 1t IS not right to the citizens and taxpayers of this city and for one shall not vote for it. but to concur with the councilmen in the matter. " Alderman Whitmore then asked that AL derman Barnes give the names Of the mem bers of the board of compensation whom he thought would be busted by this bill, and to this question Alderman Barnes answered that as there were but three members of the board anybody could tell who would go, which remark caused considerable laughter. Alderman Martin said: "At the meeting at which this report was adopted I think there was hardly quorum, and it might be well to find out if the vote was good under the charter. However, as l think Alderman Dickerman got this bill up, perhaps he can explain it's purpose"
 Alderman Dickerman said: F1 am not ashamed of my action in this matter and in explanation would say: Among the many bills to come before the board of finance we had to approve the bills of the board of com pensation, and half the time we did not know what the bills were for, as they were made
 out very vaguely. Last July motion was
 passed that no more bills of this
 board be approved until it was known what they were for, and at our next meeting the president of the board of compensation came before us and gave us u understand it was none of our business what the bills were for. They also indicated that they would not continue to work if the ap- propriation gave out, and so 1 thought it for the interest of the taxpayers to have the &C., tions of this board regulated in some manner. As to the remarks of the alderman of the Fifth
 I consider them beneath my notice.
 After more discussion a motion to table
 the matter for the next Court of Common
 Council to take up was passed by vote of F to 3.